Gliomas are tumors that arise from glial tissue of the brain. Gliomas are often found in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, but can be found anywhere in the brain. Because gliomas can grow rapidly, common symptoms experienced by patients suffering from a glioma are often associated with an increased pressure in the brain. The symptoms can include headache, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness. In addition, patients suffering from a glioma may develop other symptoms such as weakness on one side of the body, memory and/or speech difficulties, and visual changes, often as function of the location of the glioma tumor.
Gliomas can be characterized according to grade, where low-grade gliomas [WHO grade II] are typically well-differentiated and tend to exhibit benign tendencies. Low-grade gliomas stand in contrast to high-grade gliomas [WHO grade III or IV] that are typically undifferentiated and frequently malignant. One example of a high-grade glioma is glioblastoma multiforme. Glioblastoma multiforme has been characterized as a World Health Organization grade IV astrocytoma, with an incidence in North America of 5.0 per 100,000 in the population, representing 15 to 20% of all primary intracranial neoplasms.
Currently available therapeutic approaches for treating patients suffering from a glioma include surgery, radiation therapy, and treatment with certain anti-cancer agents. A typical first step in treating a glioblastoma is to surgically remove as much tumor as possible. This can help alleviate pressure on the brain. However, glioblastomas often have finger-like tentacles, and as a result it can be difficult to completely remove all the glioblastoma. This is particularly true when a glioblastoma appears near parts of the brain that control important functions, such as language and coordination. Radiation and chemotherapy may be used to help slow the growth of glioblastoma tumors that cannot be removed with surgery. However, survival rates are low using current standard treatments for glioblastoma. For example, using standard treatments currently approved by government regulatory agencies, the median survival time for adults with an anaplastic astrocytoma has been reported to be about two to three years. For children suffering from a high-grade glioma tumor (grade III or IV), the five-year survival rate has been reported to be about twenty-five percent.
As a result, there is a need for additional therapies to treat patients suffering from a glioma. The present invention addresses this need and provides other related advantages.